BLACKBURN brothers Zuber and Mohsin Issa have been made CBEs in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list.

The EG Group bosses, who recently made headlines for buying supermarket chain Asda in a multi-billion pound deal, received the honour for services to business and charity.

The Issa brothers and their private equity partner TDR Capital announced last week the 71-year-old firm would be returning to British ownership after 21 years.

The brothers have pledged to invest £1bn in the company.

Mohsin and Zuber Issa said: “We are truly honoured to have received a CBE and would like to thank the many people that have helped us along the way, including colleagues, partners, the people of Lancashire and our family.

"When we bought our first petrol forecourt in Bury almost 20 years ago, we could never have dreamed that we would be collecting such a prestigious award today. We plan to step up our contribution to good causes through our charitable foundations and this award will inspire us to do even more to support people in the communities that we operate, particularly the North of England.”

The EG Group recently also opened its £35m headquarters in Blackburn on Haslingden Road and has invested heavily in the town.

The brothers also head a separate charity – the Issa Foundation – which is run by the family and has donated to their local hospital as well as other good causes.

The billionaires made their fortunes after successfully transforming their business from one rented petrol station in Bury into a network of almost 6,000 forecourts across 10 countries over the past 20 years.

Elsewhere in the business world, BAE manufacturing director David Holmes has received an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to aerospace manufacturing.

Mr Holmes joined BAE Systems in 1984 as a craft apprentice and has remained with the company since then.

During that time, he has undertaken a variety of roles within the company and his current role covers overseeing manufacturing operations in the air sector.

Mr Holmes has also previously received the Be Inspired Business Award (BIBA) Businessperson of the Year award, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) North West award for Design & Innovation, and the North West Regional Development Agency award for Best Practice.

Sir Philip Barton, Permanent Under Secretary at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and Head of the Diplomatic Service, said, “I congratulate everyone receiving an honour and thank them for their hard work and years of service.

“The UK’s impact around the world depends on exceptional people like those recognised in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours. We are grateful for their outstanding contribution.”